Loyalties
by Martin III
Summary: -SF CD- Dantom was always sure of two things:that nothing could stand against King Gadrios, and that he would serve Gadrios and his heirs until he died. But other loyalties would arise to make demands. Rated T for violence and adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

Once again, this story is NOT alternate universe. As always, both praise and constructive criticism are appreciated, so post those reviews.

Technical Notes: The milieu and most of the characters of this fanfic are property of Sega. This story is set shortly before Shining Force CD.

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Loyalties

basic plot(as recounted in Shining Force Gaiden I and Shining Force CD) - Hiroyuki Takahashi, Shugo Takahashi, and Hiroshi Kajiyama

expanded plot and script - Martin III

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"This religion you discovered in Iom interests me, ambassador," Dantom said as the two of them walked one of the quieter halls of Castle Cypress. "If there is anything Cypress lacks, it is faith. Faith so often leads to strength, even when the god behind it provides none."

"Oh, believe me, my dear Dantom, Iom indeed rewards his followers," Woldol nodded, shuffling the shoulders of his robes. "I humbly submit that though I wield some decent magic even on my own, when calling upon his power I have been able to accomplish things which absolutely stagger me with their magnificence." He gave a content sigh. "Sometimes it bewilders me that such an omnipotent being as Iom should use such a modest creature as myself as his conduit."

Woldol's modesty was fairly staggering itself, Dantom reflected. "I wield some decent magic," indeed; the man was the most powerful mage he had ever met. Yet never had he seen any hint that his modesty was faked. "What surprises me," he said aloud, "...is that no king of Cypress has ever turned to the worship of your god. We've had contact with the nation of Iom for over a century now."

"Ah. Well you see, the people of Iom are, sadly, a selfish and arrogant race. They still cling to the notion that they are the chosen people of Iom, and that only by the expanding of their borders can his domain be extended. So they have not sought to convert the people of Cypress, and they in turn have no interest in a god associated with a people who are, even at the best of times, not their allies." He turned a hopeful eye towards Dantom. "But perhaps, if you might persuade His Royal Highness..."

Dantom shook his head. "King Gadrios worships no one but himself," he said with a dour smile.

"Bless me," Woldol said, a mortified look on his face. "I had no notion that the Royal Protector was less than fond of his charge."

"Don't misunderstand, ambassador," he growled. "I acknowledge that Gadrios's overbearing self-importance is a weakness, but in all my life I have known no man or woman half as great as he. Nothing fulfills me more than to serve him."

"I sincerely beg pardon for my rash conclusion," Woldol said, bowing his head. "But... if you will forgive one impertinent question?"

Dantom grunted approval.

"I've always been curious about the Royal Protectors, even as a child, when you were not yet born. You say... nothing fulfills you more? Not even the good you accomplish for Cypress herself?"

He considered the question a few moments in silence, then confessed, "I don't know."

"For you see, I understand that the life of the Royal Protector is wholly dedicated to his king," Woldol explained. "An important duty indeed, of course. But one day King Gadrios will be gone, whereas beloved Cypress will always be here."

"You raise an interesting question, ambassador. Rather irrelevant, though. Gadrios is a good king; my duty to him could never come in conflict with my duty to Cypress."

"Yes. I suppose you're right," Woldol admitted. "I tend to speculate a bit too much. But to return to our original discussion: what of the next generation? Do you think young Nicholas might one day bring the power of Iom to Cypress's people?"

They had returned to the banquet hall at this point, and as they passed through the entrance, Dantom temporarily ignored the question to look for Gadrios. He was not seated at the table with the queen, but Dantom almost immediately spotted him speaking with two nobles. The prince was nowhere to be seen, but the princess was chatting with the nobles and officials around her, as well as the visiting prince of Sharland.

Without taking his eyes off Gadrios, Dantom answered Woldol, "Nick takes after his father in almost every way. It is true that he dearly loves his sister, and that he has a strong friendship with Gyan. He is even friendly with his personal servants. But it won't last. Every day he becomes a little more like Gadrios. As far as I can tell, the only truly enduring love he has is for his father. When he's gone, there will be nothing to distract Nick from himself. He won't accept the idea of bowing down to a god any more than Gadrios will."

"That is a pity," Woldol said. "Well, then, long live the king. Cypress shall prosper as long as Gadrios reigns, with or without Iom."

"Agreed. If you will excuse me now, ambassador, I must see to him."

"Of course. It was a great pleasure speaking with you, my dear Dantom."

Dantom made his way easily through the banquet crowd; aside from a couple foreign dignitaries, everyone gave him a wide berth as soon as they noticed his coming. His hearing was acute, and as one of the nobles King Gadrios was speaking to became more agitated, he could pick up their conversation.

"Your Highness, you don't understand! I can't handle tracts of land of the size you're offering! I don't have the manpower, and the men I do have have no experience in cultivating this sort of land. You can't expect me to meet the harvest quotas."

The king raised an eyebrow. "Are you complaining of the gift I am giving you, Lord Gregory?"

"N- no. It's just that the quotas -"

"Can be easily met if you simply bring in additional tenants from a neighboring lord."

"Of course," Gregory sighed, and turned to the third participant in the conversation, who looked equally gloomy. "Lord Peter, if you would allow the current tenants of these lands to remain -"

"The current tenants are needed elsewhere," Gadrios interrupted. "Those which are not being relocated to other parts of Lord Peter's domain are being sent to work in the newly discovered mine to the south."

"But... if I can't use Lord Peter's men, the only person to turn to is Lord Jarl!"

"Then I suggest you speak with Lord Jarl. Lord Peter, you have no objections, do you? You'll sign over your lands?"

Peter only nodded.

"Then I'm glad I took the liberty of having my scribe write up the document for you. I'll have it sent to your estate. You've served Cypress well, Lord Peter." He turned his gaze to Lord Gregory. "I trust that you will use my gift to serve Cypress equally well. Ah! There you are, Dantom."

The king used his arrival to part company with the two nobles. He did it so naturally that Dantom couldn't help but wonder if he'd somehow timed his conversation with the lords to end at that precise moment. The beastman made a slight bow. "Is all well, Your Majesty?"

"It couldn't be better. This is the most enjoyable event I've seen grace these halls in quite some time."

"One or two months, even?"

Gadrios smiled. "I do love your wit, Dantom. Short on subtlety, but quick and harmless enough to be practically invisible. However, I believe you know that my idea of enjoyable is different from most everyone else's." He raised the glass in his hand briefly to his lips. The king never drank but in the briefest sips; rumor had it that he had developed an immunity to every known poison in this way. "I enjoy myself when the good of Cypress is accomplished."

"And has it been?"

"On a large scale. But that discussion shall wait. Would you find Nick for me?"

Dantom frowned. "I don't like unnecessarily leaving you alone, Your Highness."

"Honestly, Dantom. I'm the most well loved - and feared - king in the history of Cypress. I can be left alone for a few minutes." He moved towards the banquet table and waved Dantom off. "Go. Find my beloved son."

Ever aware of the fact that their conversation was not private, Gadrios made the sarcastic note in the word "beloved" as subtle as could be. It was not that he didn't love Nick, but Gadrios had very little patience. Besides, the king had always believed that love was a dish best served cold.

After several minutes of awkward searching through corridors and usually vacant rooms, he uncovered Nick in his study, reading a book on warcraft. As usual, Gyan sat close by.

Dantom cleared his throat. "Prince Nicholas, His Majesty is looking for you."

Nick did not answer at first, and continued reading for a few more moments. When he had apparently found a good place to stop, he slapped the book closed and hopped to his feet. "Thank you, Dantom. I'll be with him momentarily. Shall we go, Gyan?"

The prince had clearly implied a dismissal, but Dantom walked beside him as they headed back to the banquet hall. After a moment, he commented, "That book deals with strategies for leading a small fighting force, a skill utterly useless to a king. Your time would be better spent reading people than books. Save your focus on warfare for your classes."

"Ordinarily, I do," Prince Nick returned, but not without a brief glance of surprise; Dantom almost never spoke to him or his sister except when necessary. "However, I think I've earned the privilege of excusing myself when my father fills the room with absolute boors."

"Boors," Dantom repeated.

"Aside from my family, not a one of them in the room is capable of carrying on an even remotely interesting conversation for more than two minutes. I might as well be mingling with peasantry."

"Those peasants and boorish lords are your people, my Prince."

"And I'll serve them very well when the day comes. I don't see how I am required to enjoy their company."

"With regard to the peasants, I agree. But if you are to master the art of politics..."

Nick sighed. "I hope that by the time I become king, the Cypress court will be free of such simple-minded fools."

They returned to silence as they entered the banquet hall. As they passed between the shuffling groups of lords, generals, and dignitaries, a pretty young woman of roughly Nick's age was bold enough to approach them.

"Prince Nick -" she began, but stopped when he walked by without glancing at her. Since reaching maturity, Nick had become the target of more and more attempts at courtship. It was a relief that he had the self-control to ignore the temptations of the women, waiting until he found one who would make a suitable queen. Though he complained at some of the things required of him, Dantom had to admit that Nicholas took his responsibilities as future king seriously. His father had raised him well.

"Ah, Nick. You've come out of hiding," Gadrios said, getting up from the table and laying a hand on the prince's shoulder. "You have not been idle, I hope."

Nick gave a shy smile that had to be at least half feigned. "I suppose that depends on your definition of idle, father."

"I see." Gadrios sighed. "Nicholas, tell me. Have you ever seen me idle?"

Nick's eyes lowered. "...No, father."

"Many are the keys to power, my son, but they will not work unless you constantly apply them. Remember that." He gave a nod. "This little gathering has run most of its course. I've arranged for us to have dessert in private."

The king didn't need to say who he meant by "us"; under the context, that always meant the royal family and the royal protectors. The king's wife and brother excused themselves from the banquet table at Gadrios's beckoning. Princess Jenny was still eagerly chatting with the Prince of Sharland, but it took only a single piercing glance for the king to summon her. The entire family gathered, they proceeded to their private dining room, where the final course was awaiting them.

As they seated themselves at the table, Dantom remarked, "A very interesting punishment you chose for Lord Peter's cruelty towards the peasants, giving some of his lands over to Lord Gregory."

The king nodded. "Forcing him to cooperate with Lord Jarl should finally bring a stop to that petty feud of theirs."

"Ingenious. Suppose that Lord Jarl takes the opportunity to leave Gregory high and dry, though? Or that Gregory refuses to turn to Jarl for aid?"

"Jarl isn't stupid enough to defy me. And Gregory may be stubborn, but he's not that stubborn. The fact that this relocation gives me the necessary workers for unearthing that new mine makes a nice bonus." He took a bite of his dessert. "Sometimes I think Cypress would be better off if we removed the wayward nobility from the field. Most of Cypress's territory is under national control as it is."

"But don't the nobles give an air of legitimacy to the ruling class, at least in the minds of the common people?" Edmond put in anxiously.

"Exactly. I was thinking of the elimination of the noble class as a task my great grandson perhaps might accomplish. For now they are necessary, and in a few cases are even useful. There's the Lady Sarah, for instance. Still, my appointed officials are in general of more value. Speaking of which," - he turned his gaze on the princess - "...I believe I've found the perfect man for you to marry, my dear child. General Amos. A leader of near limitless potential, but with need of a strong moderating influence."

"What?" She dropped her spoon. "Father, you... you said you wanted me to marry the Prince of Sharland."

"A wise man always takes advantage of a favorable change in the situation." He paused for another spoonful, giving a thick murmur of appreciation as it disappeared into his mouth. "I wasn't sure of it until today, but Sharland's prince is hopelessly infatuated with you. He'll obey your every wish whether you marry him or not, making a marriage to him superfluous. General Amos needs your influence, and he is more worthy of you besides."

"I don't _want_ to marry General Amos."

The king looked up. "Really. Why not?"

She struggled for an answer, then said simply, "I don't like him."

Gadrios chuckled. "Well, now. There's a reason."

Flushing red, Jenny demanded, "Don't I have any say in this!?"

"Of course you do, my dear. You're the one getting married, after all. But whether Cypressian or foreign, I doubt any man would have the courage to marry you if he knew I disapproved. And until you provide a convincing reason otherwise, the only husband I approve of for you is General Amos."

"Nick..." She turned a pleading look towards her brother.

It took Nick a few moments of silent consideration before he at last said, "Father's right. The general would be a better match for you."

After a moment of awkward silence, the princess said, "May I be excused to my room?"

Gadrios nodded. "Of course. Would you like one of us to keep you company, or do you prefer to be alone for a while?"

"I prefer to be alone," she said simply, and left the table.

After she was gone, Edmond began scratching at his chin. "Perhaps you were too blunt with her, my brother."

"Oh, she'll be fine," he said in a pleasant tone. "It's not as though she's in love with that prince. She's simply intrigued by foreigners, and flattered to have a man so attentive to her. It would have only hurt her more if I'd waltzed around the matter. She's a good young lady; she'll get over it. Now, Dantom, what exactly did you and Woldol talk about?"

"So you did have a purpose in having me speak with him," Dantom observed. "We were only discussing this god the people of Iom worship. Woldol was thinking we should adopt this religion into Cypress."

"So our little ambassador does have a seditious agenda or two. I assume you told him that I would never give Cypress over to an evil god?"

"I told him you would never worship Iom, yes. But I don't think Iom is exactly an evil god."

"You see nothing wrong with human sacrifice, then?"

"Your Highness, that isn't really the norm. Human sacrifices are only held at the main shrine to Iom, except on very special occasions."

"That is more than enough for me," Gadrios scowled. "Anyone who wants to bring these unconscionable practices to beloved Cypress will find every man, woman, and child ready to fight them to the death."

"To the death... it could even come to that, if the Iomites ever succeed in reviving their god. Isn't a vow like that a little extreme for you, Your Majesty?"

"There are some things worth dying for." He took a deep breath, and returned his attention to his dessert. "Well, at least that alleviates my suspicions about Woldol. If he's willing to be open about an agenda like that, he can't be as devious as I feared."

"And let me reassure you, Your Highness, he very readily accepted the fact that Cypress would never turn to the worship of Iom. To be honest, I'm a bit shocked to hear that you could have distrusted him in the first place. He's served you loyally for nearly four years."

"Which I should be grateful for. But is it loyalty, or the pretense of it? Woldol strikes me as just a little too agreeable. When someone wholeheartedly approves of every decision I make, I take that as a warning signal that he cares more about my good will than about his own opinions. And traitors always seek the good will of the one they mean to betray over all else." He cleared his throat. "Well, now we know that Woldol has a dissenting opinion. That leaves the best news for last. I met with the Guardianans personally yesterday."

His audience looked to him with interest. "Well?" the queen prodded.

"It's almost too good to be true," the king said carefully. "They appear to be a pack of idealistic fools. The head of the representatives is a spineless oaf going by the curious name of Lowe, and the others aren't a significant departure from his example. One need only hint at the remote possibility of war, and they'll readily agree to anything you say. I understand they were practically overrun in an invasion a few years back; perhaps that would explain it. At any rate, I suspect we'll have no trouble securing trading terms that lie strongly in our favor."

The queen frowned. "Is it wise to bully them that way? Wouldn't it be better for Cypress in the long run to be friends with Guardiana?"

"Yes, of course." He scraped up the last of his dessert. "But my spies tell me that their ruler, Queen Anri, is a singularly forgiving individual. She'll overlook any minor trespasses we may make, especially if we continue to foster the notion that we are an isolated nation, unused to foreign relations. When the time comes for us to replace our initial trade agreements with more equitable ones, I expect they'll be so thankful for the improved dealings that they'll forget that we had the upper hand to begin with. So long as we ensure that Guardiana has no contact with our neighbors, we should have no problem maintaining good relations with them."

"Ah." The queen smiled. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Of course you should have," Gadrios returned. "Only a fool should trust any man's judgment implicitly, and you, my wife, are anything but a fool." He clasped his hands together. The calm he always wore was unbroken, but Dantom knew his lord well enough to recognize excitement bubbling under his skin. "It gets better. My spies tell me that Queen Anri, though roughly my age, is unmarried and childless."

The queen's eyes widened. "There is no heir?"

"None. The Guardiana royal family is on an inevitable march towards extinction. If I play our pieces right - and I haven't lost a match in a very long time - Nicholas will one day stand ready for a friendly annexation of Guardiana. All we need do is maintain our status as Guardiana's closest allies. Once Queen Anri passes away, her people will be grateful to have Cypress take them under their wing in the wake of the resulting chaos."

"I disagree," the queen said firmly. "You can never be sure how the people will react. And you haven't even brought up the competition."

"True," he said, rubbing his forehead. "Thank you for reminding me. Uncertain as it is, however, it's worth hoping for. As for the competition, only a nation called Protectora seems worth worrying about. And relations with Protectora have apparently been quite cool recently."

Leaning back in his chair, Gadrios continued, "Actually, there is a good reason to believe the Guardianans will react well to being adopted by Cypress. With their foolish idealism, they'll likely suspect only the best of motives and the best of treatment on our part. But don't misunderstand," - here his gaze focused solely on his son - "...there is great power in idealism. It simply never pays for a leader to be idealistic; a leader blinded by idealism is doomed to failure. Single-minded righteousness leads to foolish decisions, and his good intentions lead to the deaths of those he is sworn to protect. But a cool, pragmatic leader, commanding men and women fueled by idealism..." He nodded. "There is power, indeed."

Nicholas returned the nod. He seemed almost hypnotized by the power of Gadrios's words. "I understand, father."

"Good." He got to his feet. "I must now return to work. It's been a great pleasure to spend some time with you all, Edmond, Nick..." A smile touched his lips. "...Jenny. Your company is a most wonderful relief from the relentless weight of the crown."

They all stood up to leave, but Gadrios said, "One moment, Nick. In light of your absence from the festivities earlier, I think I should remind you of one other lesson. It's important for a king to have many friends. If-"

"I know, father. I have made many friends. I just didn't feel up to it today, and I'm very sorry that I allowed myself to lose the opportunity."

"'Sorry' may be good enough for me, but it won't be good enough for the real world. You do want to be king, don't you?"

Nick blinked. "How will not having enough friends keep me from becoming king?"

"'To _be_ king', I said, not 'to _become_ king'. Do you want everything that goes with being king?"

He was silent for a minute. Dantom began to feel a bit awkward; the others had retired to their rooms, leaving only king and heir in conversation, with Gyan and himself as invisible onlookers. At last Nick said, "I work hard from sunrise to sunset, training and studying to become a man worthy to take your place. What mo-"

"And yet you always stop short of going the full mile, don't you, Nicholas?" Nick's only answer was to lower his eyes to the floor. Gadrios sighed. "Well, I've said everything I have to say to you on the matter before. I won't aggravate you by repeating myself. Good night, my son."

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There was one other thing about that evening that stuck in Dantom's memory. Maybe it was because of how much it troubled him to see both of Gadrios's children bid him goodnight in such dissatisfied states.

That would certainly explain why, restlessly stalking the corridors that night, he wandered towards the rooms of the royal offspring. Listening at Nick's door, he heard nothing; not even the sound of him breathing. A dread beginning to take root in his chest, he moved to Jenny's door and listened there.

"...realize you couldn't have said anything else." The princess's voice.

"I don't want you to forgive me; I want you to be happy," Nick said impatiently.

"Do you really think father would force me to marry someone I'd be unhappy with?"

"Not unhappy... maybe less happy."

"It's more than a year off, anyway," Jenny said carelessly. "Maybe things will change again. Besides, whoever I have for a husband, I'll always have you for a brother, right?"

"No. Someday I'll have to be your king, and until that day I've got to prepare for it. I don't really have time for late night meetings anymore. Eventually I'll barely even have time to see you."

Dantom nodded. _Good. The boy's finally taking his father's words to action._

"I forgot... your responsibility to father is a lot bigger than mine."

Nick sighed. "All my life I've wanted to be like him; I'm only now realizing exactly how hard that is. I think I've let him down, Jenny."

"Don't be ridiculous! Father hides it when you're around, but he's very proud of you; we all are. He just thinks you could be even better, and he wants you to reach that. And frankly, I think he's looking for too much. You're already prepared to be a great king. You know it, and he knows it."

"So I'm going to be fine. What about you?" he demanded.

"I'm our mother's daughter, aren't I?"

The prince didn't let it go at that, but Dantom was satisfied that he'd heard enough, and headed back to his chamber. _Gadrios has done a fine job of raising his children, after all,_ he thought with surprised pleasure. _He was right; by pushing them harder, he's made them stronger._


	2. Chapter 2

For all Dantom remembered of that evening, he remembered almost nothing of the evening before it all ended. All he remembered was a feeling of uneasiness as he prepared for bed.

Such uneasiness wasn't uncommon for him. Little things would set it off; on that night, it was probably the fact that one of the soldiers assigned to guard the king's bedroom was new to the task. He wished he had no need for sleep, so that he could watch over Gadrios 24 hours a day.

As always, he reminded himself that he had nothing to fear: thanks to Gadrios's skillful diplomacy, Cypress was at war with no one, and even if they were, their enemies couldn't hope to infiltrate the castle's elaborate network of guards. An assassination attempt from within was always possible, but even forgetting the ever-watchful guards at his bedroom, who in Cypress would want to kill him in the first place? Gadrios's bold policies and ingenuous schemes had brought prosperity to every corner of the nation. Occasionally his solutions were harsh on individual lords or officials, as with Jarl and Gregory, but they all knew that in the big picture his reign made them wealthier and more secure. The only reason anyone could have to kill King Gadrios was to gain the crown, and that was simply unthinkable. His family all loved him dearly despite his coldness. Save his wife, of course, but she was utterly unambitious; she wore the queenly tiara with pure dutifulness.

These reassurances could rarely completely settle him, but it was enough to get him to sleep. Especially so that night. As soon as he lay down on the soft pillow of his bed, weariness fell over him and brought him swiftly to slumbers.

It was the sound of shouting that woke him. He always kept his window slightly open so he could hear any suspicious noises from along the castle walls, and to compensate for the warmth of his fur, so every cry rang loud and clear. His eyes ran over the room, verifying that he was not dreaming. Then a dread chill went over him. It was not so much the shouting itself that disturbed him as the sense that it was not new. _I should have heard it before now._

Dantom struggled up onto his feet, and his dread increased; he still felt drowsy, sluggish. It was an effort to will himself to get out of bed._ Have I been drugged!? Or... sleep magic?_

Then he heard Gyan shouting, "Run, Nick!", followed immediately by the sound of a window breaking. He instantly gave up on analyzing the situation and darted to Gadrios's room. The sounds were coming from the side of the castle that Nicholas and Jenny's bedrooms looked out upon, but the king's room was much closer, and the prince had Gyan to look after him.

The sight that met him when he opened the door joining his room to the king's was enough to make him wish for human eyes, eyes unable to see in the darkness of night. Both king and queen lay in natural positions of sleep... only they were dead. A clean knife wound stood starkly in the center of each of their chests, and their heads had been removed, presumably as proof of their demise.

Dantom fell to his knees. "No," he gasped. "This... this can't be. I was protecting them. Why didn't I hear the killers, smell them? My king..."

It was impossible. Only hours ago, His Majesty had been dining with his family, master of his domain as always. He had considered every possibility, prepared for every eventuality... how could anyone have killed him?

The Royal Protector shook himself. There were still Edmond and the children to protect. He shot to his feet and raced down the hall, ignoring the slain guards that lay here and there. _How long did I spend there on my knees?_ he berated himself. _Maybe an hour, maybe only seconds... either way, long enough for another life to be lost._

He drew his sword and flung open the door to Nicholas's room. It was empty, but ransacked; he'd have to assume the worst. In two massive strides he reached Jenny's room.

This time, he was only barely too late; the assassins were still there. They wore the uniforms of castle guards, but he could tell them by their furtive poses, by the eyes filled with cruel death.

He spent no more than a second on that observation. At the sight of the princess lying there, her innocent blood spilled over the sheets, he howled in rage and tore into them. With his natural speed ignited by a thirst for vengeance, he moved more quickly than they could react, shredding through them with skill honed over a lifetime. The perfected edge of his sword, powered by his beastman's strength, even snapped through the weaker links of their chain mail.

All too quickly, it was over: half a dozen men slain in a handful of seconds. His rage was far from satisfied, but the sight of Jenny's bloodied form made him stop. _The murderers were still here... could it have been her death cry, muffled by the walls, which shook me out of my shock in Gadrios's room?_ It sickened him to see her with her once vibrant life snuffed out. He felt even sicker when he looked away from her dead eyes and noticed that she had been violated.

"Why...?" he choked out, clenching his fist over the hilt of his sword. It was not the thought of her suffering such a thing that stung. Jenny was a strong girl, he knew, and without fancifulness he could imagine her spitting defiance into her rapist's face, detailing the vengeance her father and brother would take on him, all as he drove into her in a vain attempt to break her spirit. It was the outrage of such a thing being done to such an immaculate child, ever... and most especially under his watch.

Dantom could remember when she was only five, him watching over the royal family as they went on a walk in the woods. Jenny had run on ahead, and he went after her. "You want to find little tinies, too?" she asked him.

"No. I'm here to watch you," he said simply.

"What for?"

"It's my job."

"That's your special job for today?" she asked, wrinkling her brow.

"No. It..." She couldn't be expected to understand. To her a job was always something big: regulating trade in Cypress, commanding the nation's armies, negotiating territories and tributes. Not protecting one little girl, even if that was only a small part of his job. A small part, but - he looked into her eyes, so friendly and gentle - an important part. "...It's my job to protect you every day," he finished. "I'll always protect you."

And now he'd failed. They'd hardly spoken to each other since that day more than a decade ago, but he could sense that she trusted him to protect her. "Forgive me, little princess," he sobbed, cradling her frail human head in his arms, wishing more than anything that it would again draw breath.

----------------------

After a long, interminable wait broken only by giving the occasional instruction in the ordering of the camp, a knight galloped up to Dantom. After giving a compulsive bow, he announced, "We've found a body... sir. Near the lake."

Dantom nodded to himself. It was quite possible. On checking Prince Nicholas's room, he had found his scent there was stale; he could not have been there at the time of the assassinations. Searching the grounds outside, however, revealed that he had come right up to the castle walls. He must have been outside doing nighttime combat training. Dantom followed the scent into the woods, but from there he lost him. There were too many crossing scents, undoubtedly more of the killers pursuing him. If they had caught up to the prince, the lake was certainly a likely spot for them to have done so.

Still, he asked, "Is it Prince Nicholas?"

"It's... hard to say," the knight said, fidgeting. Dantom suddenly noticed that he looked rather queasy. "If you could come with me and see if you can identify it, sir..."

"No. There... There is no need," he said, closing his eyes. The thought of seeing Nick as dead as the others was unbearable enough, never mind in such condition. "I knew we would not find him alive from the start. The assassinations were too well planned and executed. They would not have been so careless as to let the prince escape."

"He did have Gyan with him, sir," the knight said hopefully.

Dantom shook his head. "Gyan had the highest potential, but he was not yet ready to serve in defense of the prince's life, especially not under such terrible circumstances. Nicholas had no chance."

With a sigh, the soldier said, "At least we managed to get Edmond to safety. It was lucky that the one loyal guard tending his room was able to defeat the traitors and guide him out of harm's way."

"Edmond..." He snorted. "Meaningless."

"Sir...?"

"My duty was to protect King Gadrios, and secondarily, those dear to him. Edmond was not dear to His Royal Highness."

"Sir? He was His Highness's brother."

"His Royal Highness held true to all the feelings and responsibilities demanded by that title. But Edmond was not of value to him. Not like his wife, his children."

Shaking his head, he took a look over the camp. It was manned by a rag-tag band of soldiers he'd gathered in the wake of the assassinations. From the start, he'd instilled in them a painful awkwardness; under normal circumstances, none but the royal family and their highest advisors were permitted to speak to the Royal Protector. They were not even sure how to properly address him. Yet after the slaughter at Castle Cypress, they had no one but him to follow, and they did so loyally and effectively. It made him feel ashamed. _Poor fools. Taking commands from a man who failed in the one task his entire life had been driven towards._

"But at least it means we still have a king," the knight said. "Should we not secure the castle for his return?"

"Do so, if you wish." He turned his eyes to the distance. "My duty has always been to Gadrios, and that leaves me with but one objective: vengeance on his killer."

"You're... you're leaving us, ah... sir? But how will we...?"

"I've sent a letter to General Alfred. He should be here in a day or two, or else send ahead someone who will be here nearly as quickly. You can hold out for that long."

"You won't let Agru see you off, sir?"

He shook his head. "Gadrios's blood cries out for justice. Give my brother my sincere regrets, but I must do this. I will make an effort to return here when I am finished, but I can spare no expense in avenging the royal family, and that includes my life. Woldol's men are unlikely to let me escape after slaying him."

As Dantom went to saddle up a horse, the knight trotted after him and called, "But... sir! Do you know where Ambassador Woldol _is_?"

Dantom smiled grimly. "Where else would he be, but with King Edmond?"

----------------------

The castle Edmond had taken refuge in was quite secure, but infiltrating it was child's play to one who had devoted as much study to castle defenses as Dantom. Timing the passes of the watchmen and hiding beneath the shadows of turrets when necessary, he scaled the wall until he reached a window to an unoccupied bedroom, one as close to the meeting room as he could manage.

The corridors were silent. Most of the people were probably in the church or their rooms in solemn mourning for the royal family. The only guards he came upon were two directly before the meeting room. He approached them openly, wagering they would be too afraid to question the Royal Protector, and knocked them out once he got close enough. He didn't want any risk of their interfering.

Dantom had nothing better than a decent guess that Woldol would be in the meeting room. He could be in his study, or wandering the corridors, or perhaps giving orders to his men. However, in those cases Dantom would have to ask which study is his?, which corridor is he wandering?, and where are his men? The meeting room was the only specific possibility worth investigating.

He slammed the door open. Only three people were in the room. A woman with strange bluish skin leaned against a wall. King Edmond sat at the head of the narrow table. Beside him stood Woldol. Ignoring the others, Dantom strode towards the murderer of his king.

A smile beamed upon Woldol's monstrous face. "Dantom! So good to see you. We feared you had perished in defense of His Honored Majesty."

"Gods! Dantom," Edmond said, putting a hand to his chest to steady himself from the shock of his entrance. "That terrible massacre... it's put me so on edge, I can scarcely think most of the time, and when I do think it's always of my brother and his poor children..." He began involuntarily trembling, a tear running down his cheek. "Dear Cypress forgive me, sometimes I don't know whether to collapse from grief or fear for my own life. At least now..."

Ignoring Edmond's rambling, Dantom seized Woldol by the collar of his robes, slammed him up against the nearest wall, and held the point of his sword to his throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you open now and watch you bleed to death," Dantom growled. "Not that it would save you, you understand. I'm just interested to hear what you'll come up with."

"Dantom!" Edmond cried. "What are you doing!?"

"Dear me," Woldol said, looking distressed and confused. "You'll have to inform me of what I've done to anger you so, my dear Dantom."

"Don't play innocent," he snarled. "Only someone with inside access to Castle Cypress's defenses could have penetrated them so cleanly. Of all the royalty and officials staying there, only you and Edmond survived. Edmond loved Gadrios and his children too much to do them harm. It had to have been you!"

"Let go of him, Dantom." The strange woman was brandishing a halberd at him.

"Put your weapon down," he returned. "I came here to avenge my king, not to slaughter an impudent child."

"You're a fool to mock me. I'll -"

"He's not mocking you, Frabell," Woldol interrupted. "Stand down and cool your temper." Grumbling incoherently, Frabell complied. Turning his gaze back to Dantom, he said calmly, "Your accusation is compelling. However, you seem to have overlooked that I have no motive to commit such atrocities."

"I'm not a fool, Woldol. Your motive is having a king you can mani-"

"Dantom, please!" Edmond broke in, getting out of his chair. "I- I don't understand what you think Woldol's done, but there must be a better way to deal with this than bloodshed! We've had too many deaths already!"

"All the wrong deaths, Edm- Your Majesty. This is the one who should have died."

"Dantom, please, for the love of my brother, listen to me! I... I don't know how to do this!" He wrung his hands feverishly. "We all always thought I would die before Gadrios; we certainly never expected I'd outlive his heir. I'm not prepared... I haven't studied the art of ruling since I was a youth. Without Woldol to guide me, I don't think I can deal with a crisis like this!"

Dantom shook his head. "I... he has to die."

"So, your loyalty is to Gadrios over Cypress after all," Woldol noted.

"What?"

Woldol smiled. "Don't you realize, my dear Dantom? Cypress is facing two threats, either of which could destroy our beloved nation. We have reason to believe the Guardianans were behind the assassinations, and even if they were not, Iom won't hesitate to take advantage of this chaos, now that they are at the height of their military strength. Second, His Royal Highness has no heir; he must find a wife quickly, or the royal family shall be completely extinguished. With my help, King Edmond can keep back the invading nations and sire an heir. Do you think he can do either on his own?"

"We'll find another ambassador to handle Iom and Guardiana."

"Can you?"

There was a suggestive note in Woldol's voice, and by some whim of his subconscious Dantom recalled that a young trade negotiator who Gadrios had pointed out to him for her talent, Woldol's most likely successor, had been staying at Castle Cypress that horrible night. Instinctively he knew she had been killed along with the royal family. Studying the confident expression on Woldol's face, it was plain that the ambassador had made sure that anyone who could possibly replace him had a guest room at Castle Cypress that night.

Woldol shrugged in conclusion. "Kill me, and you kill Cypress. So. Which is it to be? Will you serve a nation of multitudes and a vibrant dominion that, if preserved, stretches on eternally into the future? Or a dead king and his equally dead wife and children?"

At those words, Dantom could see the images of the slaughtered royal family, urging him to avenge the horror done to them. Standing tall, arms folded across his broad chest, Gadrios said, "I forbid you to allow this imp to laugh over our graves, Dantom. You swore your life to my service, did you not? Show this traitor the price of raising swords against King Gadrios the first."

"He's betrayed not only us, but the whole country," the queen added, looking as strong and beautifully fierce as ever. "He is the one who has killed Cypress!"

"I was going to be a great king in the line of my father!" Nicholas said, trembling with emotion. "To satisfy his personal ambition, this foul creature has destroyed an entire dynasty of glory!"

Jenny clutched at her brother's arm, spilling tears onto his tunic. "You're not just a king, you're my dear brother! How could Woldol do this to you? Dantom, you said you'd protect me!"

_I'm sorry... I've failed you all already._ He looked upon Woldol's serene face and shuddered deeply, clenching his teeth. "You..." But there was no word vile enough for him. Suffocating his rage, Dantom released him and put his sword back in its sheath.

"You have chosen for the greater good of Cypress, my dear Dantom," Woldol sighed. "I commend you. The strength it took to overcome your anger must truly be heroic in proportion."

"Enough compliments. How do you propose to deal with this crisis?"

"Well. This is hardly a formal meeting, but I suppose I can share that information with you." He clasped his hands behind his back and began to stroll about the room. "First, we must call upon the power of Iom. He will support us against our enemies, and I believe I can convince the moderates in the court of Iom that it would be wrong to attack fellow worshipers of their god. In addition, I've stumbled upon an elegant plan to solve the problems of both Guardiana and the need for a royal heir at once." He glanced at Edmond. "Your Highness, you concur with my advice on these matters, correct?"

The king nodded sadly. "I know Gadrios wouldn't have wanted the worship of Iom brought to Cypress, but I trust your recommendation, Woldol." He scratched at his chin. "I did swear I would never remarry, but... if it's for the good of Cypress, I suppose I must."

"Well?" Dantom prodded. "This elegant plan of yours?"

"Perhaps 'plan' was a bit too arrogant a term," Woldol mused. "I merely suggest that His Royal Highness can fulfill Gadrios's dream of bringing Guardiana under Cypress rule much more quickly than Gadrios planned, simply by marrying Queen Anri."

He started. "How do you intend to convince her to marry him?"

"With subtle diplomacy, naturally. Assuredly Queen Anri must be as desirous of an heir as our king. It shouldn't be hard to make her realize that King Edmond is the most kind-hearted and gentle husband she could hope for, and that it is in the best interests of Guardiana and Cypress to merge against the threats facing us. Failing that..." - he bowed, sweeping his hands to the sides, and arose with a winsome smile - "...with a little bit of magic. I greatly relish a good fairy tale, my dear Dantom. Perhaps you're familiar with this one: A beautiful princess was born, but cursed to perish in a terrible storm before reaching her twentieth year. To avert this tragedy, a good fairy placed a spell upon the princess when she turned 19. The spell put the princess into a state of perpetual sleep, which could only be broken by a kiss of true love..."

"I've changed my mind; I don't want to know," Dantom said sharply, and stalked out of the room. "I'll attend to you later, Your Highness. For now I need to find a room for myself."

Though most Cypressians saw Gadrios as nothing more than the greatest king Cypress had ever seen, there were a few who, while admitting his effectiveness, disapproved of his disregard for ethics. But even King Gadrios would have denounced the idea of forcing the ruler of a friendly nation into marriage. What Woldol was suggesting was more than aggressive diplomacy; it was an act of war.

But it wasn't that which made Dantom leave the room before he forgot all the reasons Cypress needed Woldol alive and gave in to blind rage. The tale of a princess had made him think again of poor Jenny, and this time a flash of insight told him her rape had not been a crime of passion. Woldol was blaming the assassinations on Guardiana, using them as an excuse to conquer the nation. The rape was just one more tool to stir up outrage against Guardiana.

_And I'm letting him get away with it. All because Gadrios's weak-kneed brother doesn't have the courage and intelligence to run a nation for himself!_ Dantom clenched his fists, but in a moment his rage subsided before shame.

_That was unfair to Edmond. He's facing a crisis worse than any Cypress has seen in over a century, and right in the wake of losing his entire family. Under normal circumstances, he'd have made a decent king. And I've betrayed him... in a way, worse than I've betrayed the rest of the family. Edmond loved Gadrios and his children. If he knew what Woldol did, he'd kill that smug ambassador with his own hands, the rest of Cypress be damned. To prevent that, I have to lie to my own king._

He shook his head. There was no more room for doubts like this. He'd done the right thing... the common good of Cypress had to come before an individual case of justice. The king and queen had believed that even more than he did.


	3. Chapter 3

A contingent of Cypress troops arrived a week later, including his brother and some of the men he'd left behind at Castle Cypress. He explained to them that he had been mistaken; Guardiana was to blame for the murder of the royal family, not Woldol. Some of them were either foolish enough to believe that or wise enough to understand the real motive behind his change of heart, and stayed there under his command. Most of the rest did the same for the simple reason that they had no king to serve but Edmond. A few, however, turned away from the castle with disgruntled looks. Agru was among them.

When Dantom accompanied Edmond and Woldol back to Castle Cypress a few days later, they found the dissenters holding it. They cleared out upon Edmond's command, however, leaving to wander the land. They hated Woldol, but they could not defy the rightful king of Cypress.

The next couple weeks were largely occupied with making Iom the official god of Cypress and a series of negotiations with Iom. Though Iom had not yet made any official gesture of aggression, Woldol found it useful to bring him and Frabell to these talks; their presence made the ambassador seem more imposing. It galled Dantom to have to work with an ill-bred youth like Frabell, but her company seemed almost pleasant next to Woldol's. Initially, that is. As the days went by, the ambassador's affable manner inevitably soothed Dantom's anger. It became harder and harder to believe the humble and genteel ambassador could have been responsible for something so foul as the murder of King Gadrios.

It didn't hurt that Woldol seemed to understand his dislike for Frabell. "I have often considered dismissing her from my service," he said one day. "But poor child, what would she do? I took her in after her parents were killed in the last war, and combat has always been her one delight. How could I take that away from her? If she is ill-mannered, it was only because I was always remiss in disciplining her. Ah, and she is such a pretty little maid."

Dantom also took the time to contact Dava, and she concurred that the coronation trials should be waived in Edmond's case. In addition to the struggles he was dealing with, there was the risk that he would die in the trials, wastefully ending the royal line. While Dava's illusions were theoretically harmless, there were instances where the shock of being "slain" during the trials was enough to cause actual death in the candidate.

After those first weeks, Edmond felt confident enough to hear petitions. Dantom and Woldol stood at his side, ready to offer advice where it was needed. After dealing with a few routine concerns, the Lady Sarah was announced.

When she came in, King Edmond said, "My Lady, you are not required to wait in line at a general audience. You can bring your concerns to me at your convenience."

"I am familiar with court protocol, Your Highness, but my husband insisted that I return as soon as possible." Dantom could guess what that meant. The Lady Sarah's spouse was a capable enough lord, but not nearly as effective as her in dealing with serious problems.

She continued, "Your Majesty, I am here because I feel it is my duty to report that your enforcement of the worship of Iom is having an effect counter to the one which I assume you desired. Many of the people under my care are already upset by the death of His Honored Majesty and Your Majesty's unexpected ascension to the throne. Establishing a new religion only adds to the startling and adverse changes; to them it seems as though Cypress has vanished and been replaced by a new nation overnight. My husband and I are doing all we can to reassure them, but they remain restless and angry. There has even been talk of rebellion." She inclined her head. "I believe Your Majesty has the best of intentions, but Cypressians cannot be made to worship a god whom they disdain. I implore you to withdraw this policy."

"My dear Lady," Woldol said, "...any worthwhile change takes time, and this change could well be necessary to our survival. I recommend patience."

Sarah gave him a look. "I am asking His Majesty, not you."

Dantom nodded to himself. For a moment it had puzzled him that the Lady Sarah would make such a request in person rather than by letter, but now he understood. The declaration of Iom worship must have seemed strange, even suspicious to her, and she had come in part to see the state of the Cypress court for herself. By the look in her eye, she was beginning to suspect that Woldol was the real power in Cypress now.

Woldol showed no chagrin, but simply bowed his head and said, "Of course. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Your Majesty."

"No, Woldol... not at all," Edmond returned. "I think you stated my feelings on the matter very well."

Lady Sarah looked about to argue further when a voice announced, "Make way for the king of Cypress!"

Dantom had no time to react before an entourage of soldiers marched into the room, clearing away the petitioners who stood outside the door. But when he saw who walked in their midst, his mind reeled. _It... can't be..._

"Nick!" Edmond cried, and leaped off his throne, running to embrace him.

Gyan stepped in the way before he could reach the returned prince. "If you want to speak to His Majesty, do it from a sword's reach away," he growled, baring his fists.

Edmond took a step back, startled. Nicholas remained a cool figure, standing calm and resplendent in regal clothing, looking every bit the part of a king in spite of his youth. "Forgive the hostility, uncle Edmond," he apologized. "But after the trials we have been through these past weeks, Gyan isn't quite sure who we can trust."

"Yes... Yes, I understand," Edmond said, relaxing a bit, but he still looked hurt. Though Nick had used Gyan as something of a scapegoat, to Dantom's eyes he wasn't sure that Edmond hadn't been involved in the plot to kill the royal family, either. "I was just... I thought you were dead. It's so good to see you alive, Nick."

A soft smile touched the prince's lips. "It's good to see you too, uncle." He held out a hand, his smile subtly tightening. "Now, would you kindly hand me my crown?"

Edmond had never been a decisive man, but Dantom had never seen him so at a loss as he was at that moment.

Woldol spoke up, "You seem to have misunderstood, my prince. King Edmond is not merely serving as a temporary lord of the realm; he has already been crowned."

Nicholas nodded. "Only necessary, I'm sure. Nonetheless, his claim falls second to the heir."

"Not quite," Woldol sighed, looking slightly embarrassed. "I wouldn't expect you to be familiar with every obscure law on royal ascension, my prince, but according to Cypress law, if someone other than the heir is compelled to take the throne, he is to hold it until the heir reaches the age of twenty years."

"My uncle wasn't supposed to take the throne in the first place. I was of age when my father was killed, and therefore became king of Cypress in fact, if not in official ceremony, the moment he died. Edmond's crowning was no more than an error. Though such was not your intention, uncle, you are in fact a usurper of the throne."

Edmond flushed and lowered his eyes, seemingly wanting just to sink into the floor. It was a strange image. Nick would be no match for Edmond in a sword fight, yet it was Edmond who was cowering before the young... _prince? No, king._

"The law is quite explicit, my prince," Woldol said. "The appropriateness of Edmond's crowning is of no consequence, only the fact of it."

"This is not the time to entangle ourselves in technicalities. I assure you, the people will accept my kingship much more readily than they accept Edmond's."

"I beg to differ, my prince; times like these are when we must follow 'technicalities' more than ever. In the midst of chaos, the law is all we have left."

"The law is only as good as the service it does to the people it guides and to the principles it was built on," Nicholas retorted. "This application of the law serves neither of those in the slightest."

Woldol sighed. "Be that as it may, the crown lies on Edmond's head, by a ceremony that was completely in accordance with Cypress law. Your ascension to the throne now must wait."

"I see." His hand fingered the hilt of his sword. For a moment Dantom tensed, but he quickly realized that the gesture was entirely casual. "Let me ask you a hypothetical question, ambassador. Suppose I chose to dispute that?"

Woldol raised an eyebrow. "That would be a reprehensible and wasteful act, would it not? You need wait only a few months before the crown is yours. Surely you would not even consider tearing Cypress asunder with civil war out of petty impatience."

The prince smiled. "Of course not, ambassador, but it shouldn't be hard for you to understand that I _am_ impatient to wear the crown." He shrugged his shoulders, and noticeably relaxed his posture. In the time it takes to blink, his appearance changed from the proud king of Cypress to a modest prince, unburdened by regal responsibility. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to wait. If you'll excuse me, uncle, my journey has left me rather weary, and I would like to retire to my room."

"Of course," Edmond said, the breath of tension rapidly easing out of his lungs. "But you'll dine with me tonight, won't you, my boy?"

"I doubt I'll feel up to it, I'm afraid. I will see you tomorrow morning."

All eyes were on Nick as he walked from the room: the court attendants and petitioners with shock, the Lady Sarah with interest, Edmond with half joy and half disbelief, and Woldol... with what Dantom could only call disapproval.

----------------------

As soon as he had the chance to discretely take his leave, Dantom made his way to Nick's quarters. It was a deadly game Nick had played. Announcing his return before a sizable crowd of his people was a smart move, but to openly challenge Edmond's claim to the throne... Nick clearly had no idea just how dangerous Woldol was. The ambassador had worked too hard and taken too many risks to have Edmond dethroned in a matter of months. Woldol would not let the prince live long under this roof.

It was strange, he reflected. A few weeks ago, Nick being alive would have meant everything. Now he realized that Cypress needed Woldol's experience and Iom's power to survive its current predicament. As talented as Nick was, he simply did not have either of those things. In a supreme irony, Cypress was better off ruled by a traitor's puppet than by the rightful king. And he, protector of Cypress's greatest king and his family, would serve the nation better by turning against them.

_Curse Woldol. Curse him for bringing me... for bringing Cypress... to this._

Though he did not want Nick to become king, however, he refused to allow him to die at Woldol's hands. Perhaps, once the current crisis was over, the prince could return to reclaim his crown. Even otherwise... he had sworn to protect him.

Dantom's first knock received no answer. Assuming the prince was asleep, he pushed the door open. The room was empty.

_So, Nicholas was not so heedless of the danger he was walking into. Perhaps his visit was a probe... or perhaps he simply wanted to demonstrate that he had the sheer grit to challenge Edmond and Woldol to their faces._

It didn't matter, and in a moment Dantom's attention was turned to several guards running down the hall towards him. "Sir Dantom! Is Prince Ni-"

"He's left the castle."

The guards tumbled to a halt. Most began catching their breaths, while their officer cursed. "Did you see him leave?"

Dantom shook his head, and his perplexity increased when he saw Edmond run into the hall, accompanied by more guards. "What's going on here, Your Majesty?"

"Assassins! I was nearly killed! Nick - is he safe?"

"Dantom says he left the castle some time ago, Your Majesty," the officer put in.

"The prince fled?" Dantom looked to see that Woldol come around the corner, a mildly horrified look upon his face. "Dear me... you realize what this implies, Your Majesty?"

Edmond trembled for a moment in realization, then shook his head. "No... it can't be. Nick would never..." But the prince's blood was certainly cold enough, and the way Edmond nervously clutched at his throat showed that he knew it.

_Even so... I'm not altogether sure Nick is behind this. Assassination is such a crude and dishonorable tactic; his father would have disapproved, and he always tried to do what his father would._

_But then, can I be sure he's the same Nicholas I've always known? Almost any man would be changed for the worse after the tragedies and persecutions he's gone through. Perhaps to him honor and finesse seem unnecessary concepts against avenging his father, his sister._

_Or perhaps he's forgotten all that... suppressed those traumatic memories by focusing on a lust for power, an unrelenting mission to win the crown for himself. He did seem unusually cool to Edmond earlier. Does he not realize that Edmond is only Woldol's puppet, and had no part in the deaths of their family? Or does he not care?_

"Your Majesty," Woldol said soothingly, "...my mind recoils at the idea as well, but why else would young Nicholas leave without notice? Remember, he did express dissatisfaction with the fact that you are king and not he. And you did say it looked like Cypressians who attacked you, did you not?"

Dantom cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I must agree with Woldol's conclusion."

_Either way, Woldol would still be after Nick's head. And even if he _is_ innocent, I need to say something to keep Woldol from getting suspicious about my being in the Prince's quarters._

"You... you're right," Edmond said at last. "I must have been blind not to see what he was going to do. Woldol! We must quickly send out a proclamation across Cypress... that Prince Nicholas is a traitor."

----------------------

_How could it all change so quickly?_ Dantom wondered as he joined three castle guards in searching the prince's quarters for evidence. _Two months ago my life was serving Gadrios and his heirs. Now I'm turned against them beyond all point of return._

_But Woldol, curse him to the foulest depths of darkness, was right. King Gadrios is gone. And one day, Edmond and Nicholas will be gone. Cypress is forever._

_Because of that, though I loved Gadrios and his family and was loyal to them, it was always Cypress I truly served. And it is Cypress that I will serve until the day I die. If Prince Nick should continue to threaten Edmond, instead of going into hiding... then I must serve Cypress even against him._

_I can only pray that he does not._

END


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